Cyclone Ktjaraung
***NOTE***: Anyone can freely edit this article in a constructive way, thank you. -Tyler Severe Tropical Cyclone Ktjaraung was the deadliest and costliest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere, and the longest lasting, strongest and most intense tropical cyclone on record worldwide. Ktjaraung is the 14th storm and the 11th named storm within the extremely active 2022-23 South Pacific cyclone season Due to its extremely long 44 day journey across South Pacifc, the storm caused extremely severe destruction in over 11 countries in Oceania, with Fiji being the hardest hit. It is regarded as being the worst natural disaster in the history of Fiji. An estimated 48,312 people, or 4% of the total population of Fiji, losing their lives either directly or indirectly in the catastrophe, with an additional 410,000 people left homeless. The storm also claimed an additional 4,218 lives in French Polynesia, Vanuatu, Niue, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Meteorological History .|309x309px]] On January 4, 2023, The Fiji Meteorogical Service (FMS) started to monitor Tropical Depression 13F, which had formed 521 miles (840 km) east-southeast of the Fatu Hiva island in French Polynesia. Over the next few days, the storm moved slowly west-southwest before entering into a favourable environment. On January 6, the storm develops into a tropical cyclone a few hundred miles south of Fatu Hiva. The storm underwent a rapid intensification, and the FMS then upgraded the storm into a category 1 (Australian scale) and assigned the name "Ktjaraung", the 11th name in the tropical cyclone name list. The storm developed an unusually large eye, and rainbands extending 260 miles from the storm's core. On January 7, favourable conditions furthers the development of the storm into a category 3 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone scale (Category 2 equivalent on Saffir-Simpson scale). The storm moved into an area of unusually warm ocean temperature of 31°C (87.8°F), causing the system to rapidly intensify again into a category 4 tropical cyclone (Category 3 equivalent on Saffir-Simpson scale) on 8 January. However, relatively high wind shear weakens the storm only after that. On January 9, an area of high pressure pushes the storm into a southwest track, where a warmer ocean temperature coupled with a moderate to low wind shear helps the storm to rapidly intensify for the third time, and in just 24 hours, Ktjaraung intensifies into a category 5 tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. France's Météo-France and Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued an emergency across the whole Society Islands in French Polynesia. Over the next 12 hours the storm intensifies into a Category 5 tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale west-northwest from the Bora Bora island, causing moderate to severe damage across the whole northern side of the Society Islands. Ktjaraung continues to move west over the next 48 hours until an eyewall replacement cycle causes a weakening of the storm into a Category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but remained a category 5 on the Australian scale. The storm later re-strengthen into a Category 5 cyclone, and continues to intensify for the next few days. Ktjaraung passes south of Aitutaki, Cook Islands on January 12. On January 14, the storm makes a turn into a west-northwest track, putting Niue on its periphery, and issuing an emergency on the island nation. Ktjaraung's eyewall skims over Niue on January 16, where Doppler radars measures wind speed of 200 mph (320 km/h) and a central pressure of 868 hPa (mbar), breaking the record for being the most intense tropical cyclone on Earth, surpassing 1979's Typhoon Tip at 870 hPa (mbar). Despite this, the storm continues to intensify. Shortly thereafter, the storm crossed the International Date Line. On January 16 local time, the storm skims north of the Vava'u island of Tonga, with wind speeds of 220 mph (355 km/h), causing severe to catastrophic damage. On January 17 local time, the FMS issued a national emergency in preparation of Ktjaraung, after forecast models shows the storm to make a direct impact across the Fijian islands. By this time, the storm had slowed down dramatically. On January 21, the storm makes an erratic northern turn over the Eastern Division islands, with its record peak intensity of 245 mph (400 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 853 hPa (mbar), making it the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded on earth. The storm then made a sharp left turn and stayed at that intensity for the next 48 hours before making a second Fijian landfall over the Nairai island on 18:00 local time, killing most of the people living there. Later on January 24, Ktjaraung made its third Fijian landfall on the northernmost tip of Viti Levu, where the highest wind gusts of 300 mph (480 km/h, 134 m/s) was recorded. The storm devastated the whole island. Right after skimming over Viti Levu, the storm slightly weakens, but remained a violent tropical cyclone, with wind speeds of 175 mph (280 km/h). A few hours later, it had made its fourth landfall on Nacula Island. On January 26, an eyewall replacement cycle rapidly weakens Ktjaraung into a Category 4 cyclone (Saffir-Simpson scale). The storm took an erratic path due to interactions with Tropical Cyclone Mandala, before absorbing the system later that day. On January 28, Ktjaraung passes over Vanuatu as an intense category 4 tropical cyclone, causing severe damages and destroying thousands of homes. The next day, increasing wind shears causes the storm to weaken into a category 2 cyclone. Météo-France issues an emergency on New Caledonia as the storm is set to hit the northern parts of mainland New Caledonia. On January 31, the storm made a landfall on Hienghene, New Caledonia, causing the storm to weaken rapidly into a category 1 tropical cyclone (Tropical storm). On February 2, at 18:00 local time, Ktjaraung enters the Australian basin as a weak tropical storm, before weakening further into an extratropical depression. While forecast models shows the storm to re-intensify without making any direct hit on the east coast of Queensland, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology still issues an emergency as the storm could create large swells across most of the east coast of Queensland. On February 4, the storm re-intensifies into a category 1 tropical cyclone, and made a sharp easterly turn. Weakening wind shear and a slightly favourable condition prompts the rapid intensification of the storm into a category 5 tropical cyclone on February 7. It then made a east-southeast turn and re-enters the South Pacific basin as a strong Category 5 cyclone (Saffir-Simpson scale), reaching wind speeds of 165 mph (265 km/h) on February 8. The next day, Ktjaraung weakens into a category 4 cyclone (Aus scale) due to cooler water and made a slow loop, before re-intensifying again into a category 5 cyclone (Aus scale). On February 12, Ktjaraung made a southerly turn into New Zealand, weakening the storm into a category 3 cyclone due to high wind shear and cold waters. The storm made a landfall on the northern tip of the Northern Island of New Zealand, which prompts to the weakening of the storm into an extratropical storm. A polar front pushes the storm slightly on a southwest track, before turning into a tropical remnant on February 13. Records Ktjaraung set multiple records for being the deadliest and costliest cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as the longest lasting, second largest, most intense tropical cyclone on record worldwide. Ktjaraung is the second largest tropical cyclone in terms of gale-force wind speeds extent, at 1,180 miles (1,900 km), only 200 miles smaller than Typhoon Tip, at 1,380 miles (2,220 km). With a 1-minute sustained wind speed of 245 mph (400 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 853 hPa (mbar), Ktjaraung is the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded, surpassing Typhoon Tip in terms of barometric pressure, and Hurricane Patricia in terms of 1-minute sustained wind speed. It is also the longest lasting tropical cyclone on record, at nearly 44 days, surpassing the previous record holder Hurricane/Typhoon John at 31 days. With a death toll of 52,530, Ktjaraung also breaks the record for being the deadliest cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, far surpassing Cyclone Namu at a measly 150 deaths. It is also the costliest tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, causing $11.4 billion in damage, surpassing Cyclone Yasi at $3.6 billion. Ktjaraung maintained at least Category 4 status for 462 hours, or 19.25 days, which is the longest continuous time period at that intensity ever observed for any tropical cyclone on Earth, far surpassing Hurricane Ioke at 8.25 days. Additionally, due to its extremely long lifespan, Ktjaraung sets an Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) of 131, which is also a new world record. The storm accounts for 64% of the season's total ACE. Preparations and impact French Polynesia Due to the storm's unusual intensity in the region, France's Météo-France along with United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a tropical cyclone watch for the Society Islands on January 7 at 07:00 UTC. As the storm intensifies, a tropical cyclone warning is issued for islands such as Maupiti, Bora Bora, Taha'a, Ra'iātea, and Huahine-Nui. After the storm passed north and the storm's damaging winds diminished, these warnings were discontinued on January 11. Ktjaraung brought heavy rainfall and causes severe damages over the Society Islands. Damage is even more prominent in the northern side, particularly Bora Bora, where hundreds of homes, along with other buildings like churches, bridges, and resorts were destroyed. In some parts of the Society Islands, storm surges up to 25 feet (7 meters) high and wind gusts up to 170 mph (275 km/h) were recorded. Ktjaraung left 850 people homeless and killing 11 local residents and 13 tourists. Cook Islands On January 10 at 06:30 UTC, Météo-France issued a tropical cyclone warning for Aitutaki, Cook Islands, as the storm is approaching the island packing wind speeds of up to 155 mph (250 km/h). On January 11, Ktjaraung's eyewall passes over the island, bringing destructive rainfall, powerful winds, deadly storm surges, and destroying 75 homes. A total of 13 people died in the incident. Niue After the storm had passed Aiutaki, Cook Islands, forecast models had already shown Ktjaraung to make a west-southwesterly turn potentially impacting Niue. By that time, the storm was a violent Category 5 tropical cyclone with wind speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h). A tropical cyclone warning were then issued in January 16 11:20 UTC. Massive storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) high were already reported before the storm had even passed the island. Several schools and hospitals were forced to shut down to be used as evacuation centers as the storm could potentially be extremely deadly. As the storm's eyewall grazed the island, it had packed wind speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Extreme wind damage and storm surges of up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) high were reported, with several homes and buildings over the shorelines washed away, and thousands of trees were debarked. Strong winds knocked off trees, electric poles, and blows several cars and buses away which blocked off roads in several communities. Widespread blackout was experienced across the entire islands. An estimated 85 people were killed in the island. Tonga On January 15, 14:00 local time, a red alert was issued by the Tongan government as Ktjaraung approaches the island nation. Hundreds of tourists in the Little Italy Hotel are forced to evacuate and move to the southern islands, where officials believed to only receive minor damages as it is further south from where the storm is projected to pass. The next day, the storm passed north of Vava'u island with wind speeds of 220 mph (335 km/h), with Category 5 winds reported as far away as Pangai in Lifuka island. Catastrophic damages were felt across the nation, particularly in the northern region. Thousands of trees were pulled of from their roots, and hundreds of buildings were completely blown away from their foundations. A total of 242 deaths, either directly or indirectly, were reported, with 34 more missing. Fiji On January 16, a nationwide warning was issued by the FMS as Ktjaraung, which is currently packing a 1-minute sustained wind speed of 225 mph (365 km/h), approaches the island nation. Wind speeds of up to 175 mph (280 km/h) were expected to be felt across the nation. By the evening of January 17, officials send police officers into most of the Central, Eastern, and Western Division islands ahead of the storm. Classes were cancelled, and residents in flood and landslide prone areas were forced to evacuate to the nearest evacuation centres. The government also requested the military to deploy planes and helicopters to most of the island nation, particularly the Eastern Division and Central Division islands. Ktjaraung caused catastrophic destruction throughout most of the country, Fijian president Chester Visqowava regarded the storm as being "The worst natural disaster in Fijian history". TBCCategory:Cyclones Category:Southern hemisphere tropical cyclone Category:Deadly storms Category:Deadly Cyclones Category:Deadly Storms Category:Destructive storms Category:Destructive Cyclones Category:Destructive Storms Category:Long-Lasting storms Category:Strong Storms